


Close Enough

by Ononymous



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 09:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12791859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ononymous/pseuds/Ononymous
Summary: "Call for help. I dare you. Cry into the darkness! 'Mommy! Daddy! Somebody help!' See what good it does you!"*You reach out and call their name."Wh... what did you do...? What's this feeling...? What's happening to me?"*You call out for help..."What? Who are you calling now?"*...and somebody came."...Mom? Dad?!"Several months later...





	Close Enough

**Author's Note:**

> A story request from [Pug](https://twitter.com/PugTweeter).

The kitchen was full of wonderful smells. Smells the two occupants were still getting used to after being denied them for so long. And the other thing they were getting used to was having a family at all to share it with. Once it looked like every inhabitant in the house faced down a destiny of being totally alone. But then the youngest had helped the other three find each other again in spite of all the obstacles – physical, emotional, spiritual – and then chose to join them as well, a request accepted without a second though. And that's why Toriel was giving them an extra egg.

"Frisk! Breakfast is ready!"

The tell tale patter of feet preceded Frisk's entrance into the kitchen. Asgore was reading a newspaper with a half-eaten sausage resting on the fork in his hand. She put down another plate beside him, and Frisk got into place to talk to him about what they would do that day.

"Now then," said Toriel, "just one more hungry mouth to feed." She grabbed a large tray piled with food "Gorey, could you...?"

He pointed his free hand at the door to the garage, and it swung open. The temperature dropped as she crossed the threshold, and her breath started misting. Her copper-red eyes were drawn inexorably to the sickly green aura in the corner. Atop a large pile of blankets sat... something. Two leathery arms almost as wide as her torso lay crossed on the floor, long and green with wicked red claws like cactus needles. From the thing's core a large fleshy maw protruded with unnervingly flat teeth. Tendrils not unlike the arms pointed naturally towards the ceiling, as if trying to hook into it. Large tubes decorated the top of the creature like a perverse industrialised haircut which vaguely looked like a ring of petals. And in the middle of these tubes, the source of the green light was apparent. A screen as wide as the span of her arms. It was currently displaying a cartoon with a rabbit in a forest.

"Hmph," she said, unimpressed, "I thought I told you not to watch TV before breakfast."

There was a wet slurping noise as four bulging eyes opened, two atop the maw and two encased within the tubes, and fixed her with a piercing gaze. With an electrical buzz, the image on the screen changed. Two more eyes, bright red with small green pupils, and a wide mouth full of crooked teeth. It quickly rearranged into a pout.

"But Moooom, I haven't seen this one in ages!"

"Perhaps if you had helped Frisk unpack the groceries yesterday like I asked, breakfast could have been ready sooner and you could have watched it in peace. Now eat up, Flowey, we have a busy morning."

She laid the tray down before him. Those arms descended and the maw was crunching loudly, while the red eyes on the screen lit up, enjoying the food. His table ettiquette was improving at least.

"Hey," he said as he continued to eat, "when we're done, can we go to-"

"Please do not speak with your mouth full."

"Come on, it doesn't count if it's a different mouth!"

"All the same, it's bad manners."

The face vanished, replaced with a spinning hour glass as the maw sloppily consumed the remainder of the tray's contents. With a loud gulp and a rumbling belch, the face flicked back.

"Thanks Mom, that was delicious!"

"You're welcome. Now, what did you want to ask?"

"Can we go to the park when we're done?"

"Have you finished your homework?"

"Frisk did it for me. Not like that!" The red claws shot up in an absurd gesture of assuaging. "I talked them through how I was doing the problem, and they copied my words. You know they wouldn't let me cheat even if I tried. Hey, when's Alphys getting me that voice activated computer so I can do it myself?"

She smiled at his forwardness. "I see your father could not contain the surprise. It should be ready soon. Now as for the park, that depends on your behaviour."

The face was replaced with a flagpole, and a white flag was hoisted into place. Then a small human child in an angel costume knelt in piety. "I'll be good as gold!"

"As you should."

Half an hour later, Sanjay Singh's day had ground to a sudden halt. Monsters appearing on the surface wasn't that big a deal. They were unusual, but they were also friendly, and they had given him his new favourite type of tea. But there were some developments that would freeze him in place, and he was looking at one.

"Howdy!"

The voice was childish and innocent, but that just added to the dissonance as the arms and tendrils pointed in interest at this or that thing on the street, and the low pulse of tremendous power that he felt resonate in his soul, as the creature floated alongside the goat man who held onto a large red claw so he wouldn't wander off. The human looking child next to the goat woman raised a lot of questions in his paralysed mind, but all he could do was mechanically return their wave as the four of them passed him and continued down the street. Finally the psionic bindings of the largest creature broke, and he reached for his phone to find where he could get a drink.

Asgore might have been able to fit inside the clothes shop, but Flowey certainly wouldn't. Both of them stood outside looking at the monsters waving at them and the humans mixed between staring constantly or averting their eyes.

"I'm bored, can we go look at toys?"

"Now Son, we went to the toy shop a few days ago. And I had to pay for that stuffed teddy that got damaged."

"I didn't do that this time, it was your horns!"

"Ha ha, yes. Still, we can't go every day. Besides, if we end up weighed down with toys in addition to what else we need, who will buy the nice cream later?"

He spun to look at his father so fast the he knocked several bricks off the corner of the building. "Really?!"

"Ah, oh dear, that was meant to be a surprise. Not a word to your mother."

The crooked mouth was literally zipped up, but the red eyes were bulging in anticipation. Still, when Toriel returned made an admirable effort at pretending she hadn't noticed. Frisk was sporting a brand new purple jacket, and Toriel then revealed a large bowtie she wrapped round the base of Flowey's maw, so it was strategically positioned beneath his screen.

"There, now you have something to wear if we have a formal occasion."

"Cool, I like the yellow colour! But, ugh, it's itchy."

"That reminds me, we need to pick up fabric softener. Perhaps that shall make it more comfortable."

The supermarket had been one of the first public places to complete its modifications to accommodate the wider range of mobility needs monsters presented. This time nobody would have to stand outside. The center of attention soon drifted over to the magazine stand, accompanied by Frisk, and they started reading comics while their parents picked up a few sundries.

"Uh, ex-excuse me, s-sir." The hulking limbs twisted round as the screen came to point down at the woman who was clearly not paid enough for this.

"Is something wrong?" It was an innocent-ish question, but that intent was buried under how intimidating he looked.

"S-sir, this establishment h-has a policy against r-reading magazines without purchasing, so I'll h-have to ask you t-to..."

Her speech finally faltered. His petal-like tubes were fluttering in mild irritation, even though his screen projected a stoic face. There were maybe three people who could tell him no, and two others that would make him accept it. She wasn't among them.

"I'll have t-to ask you... to enjoy that magazine as a c-complimentary gift."

A fireworks display appeared on the screen. "Cool! Thanks, lady!"

One of these days she'd actually get him to put it back. Not today however. "Y-you're welcome." She hurried away.

One of his secondary eyes twisted to behold his sibling's reaction. "Come on, Frisk, you know I didn't say anything! She gave it to me all by herself."

"You knew she would."

"Yeah, so?" That maddeningly steady face was unfazed. "Okay fine, when I'm finished I'll share it with Bob Junior or someone. Happy?" They nodded.

"Children?"

Their parents had returned with a small basket of household goods. Asgore picked up Frisk while Toriel gripped a large red claw to guide him to the till. Fifteen seconds later, it slid out of her hand as she walked on. Turning round, she saw Flowey had stopped at the jumbo pic 'n' mix display.

"No," she pre-empted, "we got a selection on Monday and you haven't finished them."

"Aw, but we ran out of caramels! These are even bigger. And wow, hazelnut whirls!"

"Well, I suppose your father's already revealed that we were planning to get nice cream later," she said, "so choose: Nice cream or pic 'n' mix."

The gentle glow from his screen turned red as his voice turned warped and twisted. "But I want-"

"Don't speak to your mother that way."

That did it. When it was Asgore who was putting his foot down, everyone knew a line had been crossed. The glow faded back to white. Not that the few humans nearby still didn't keep their distance. "...sorry, Dad."

"Now, choose."

Frisk grabbed a claw, holding it as tight as they could. His face screwed up as they were both filled with determination. "...I'll wait for the nice cream," he muttered.

"That's better," said Asgore, patting the maw. To avoid jeopardising this accord, Flowey let his parents hang their shopping bags on his tendrils to keep their hands free. One more errand before the promised reward now. As they proceeded down the street, Toriel was recounting her latest jokes, and the whole family laughed cheerfully at them. This provided enough warning for Sanjay to make a detour.

"Hey Frisk," Flowey tried to whisper, but volume control was not in his skillset, "d'ya think Papyrus will be in the park?"

Frisk shrugged. "Isn't Saturday when he tries to clean Sans' room?"

The screen turned to static briefly at Sans' name. "Oh yeah. I just thought it would be cool if he was there."

"Oh, you find him funny again?"

"Sure! Well, funnier than that smiley trash-"

"Shh! Mom won't like that."

"Oh yeah."

Asgore and Toriel had to enter the law offices to sign some paperwork about monster integration. Asgore barely fit as it was, so once again Flowey hovered out on the street, this time chaperoned by Frisk. Both of them were looking up at the clouds.

"I think that one looks like Mom's pie," said Frisk.

"Hey, you're right! That one looks like a froggit."

"Really? I think it's more like a vegetoid."

"Hmm, maybe. Hey, that's like a car."

"It totally is! Oh, and that square one is Mettaton!"

"Yeah! And that one-" He cut himself off in a fit of giggles.

"What? Tell me."

"I think... I think it looks like Dad's butt! Look, that little poof is totally his tail!"

Frisk stared at the cloud in question. And then they burst out laughing. If anyone nearby heard it, it wasn't for long, as it was quickly swallowed by a maniacal cackle that reverberated around the listener's skull.

"Hee hee hee! Dad's butt is in the sky!"

"Your father's what?"

The silence was deafening. "Oh, hi Mom. Uh, Dad's... crown! Look, it's over there!" He pointed wildly at a cloud that was shaped like an indistinct fluffy blob, almost like it was a cloud.

"Hmm, I do not see the resemblance," she said sincerely, "although _that_ one looks like his..." she covered her mouth in embarrassment and suppressed a chuckle, "well, I'd best not say. Now, who would like some nice cream?"

"Me!"

The Dreemurrs were regular visitors to the parlour, and a wide table with chairs only on one side was laid out as a result. The preparation paid off today, and the blue bunny was bringing their regular orders. Double choco-mint for Frisk, tangy lemon with nuts for Asgore, strawberry and vanilla with whipped cream for Toriel, and a large bucket of butterscotch for Flowey. Despite getting the most, his stature ensured he finished by far the fastest.

"Owwww," he moaned as his screen glowed blue, "brain freeze."

"Son, we've told you about pacing yourself before," reproached his father.

"But it's so good!"

The monster patrons paid his groans no heed, while the human customers did an admirable job ignoring him. These were the ones who had dove into what the monsters had to offer from the start, and as a benefit were somewhat inured to the disconcerting mannerisms and appearance of the prince of this world's future.

At long last, they headed over to the park. While a lot of adult humans proceeded to stare into their phones or books and pay the family no heed, the children turned out to have more open minds. As it was a bright day, Asgore announced it was perfect weather for a game of catch, took out a large ball from his phone and started throwing it with Flowey. Everyone marvelled in the space they had to play with, as the last time the two of them threw a ball like this long ago, the space, the ball and the son were all considerably smaller. Asgore was sneaky about it however. Despite Flowey's size advantage, Asgore had a knack for curve balls, and even managed to slip the ball beyond outstretched tendrils a couple of times. Toriel and Frisk cheered both of them on, regularly switching sides so neither would feel dejected.

"Okay, my turn!" Flowey yelled after the latest catch, and threw it back without thinking. Asgore caught it, but the force knocked him off his feet.

"Oof!"

"Oh, Asgore!" Toriel and Frisk were over in a flash, helping him back up. The three of them looked back to the oddly diminished pitcher, who was twiddling his claws while his whole face peeked from the edge of his screen.

"Sorry, Dad, I got too excited."

"Not to worry, Son. Nobody's hurt. You've got a heck of a throwing arm anyway." A red pixelated heart flashed on the screen. "Now, how about we-"

His phone rang. The others waited patiently as he said a few patient "Yes"'s and "Uh-huh"'s into it, concluding with an "On my way".

"Tori dear, that was Miguel. Apparently Aaron got into an argument at the gym with a human and hurt himself flexing too hard."

"Again? Hmph. I suppose you need to smooth it out."

"Well, yes. And your healing may be useful."

"Of course. Children, we have to go now."

"Aw, can't we stay? Frisk has their phone with them. And I _am_ a phone!" Both his parents' phones started ringing for a few seconds to prove his point.

"This is your father's duty, my child, we cannot-"

"Yo, guys!"

Monsterkid was running up to the family at the head of a small group of other kids, waving at them with his tail.

"How about we play with them," offered Frisk, "and you can call us when you're done?"

Toriel still wasn't sure, but Asgore made the decision. "Okay. We shouldn't be long anyway. Have fun, Asr-"

" _Dad!_ Not in front of my friends! My cool name, remember?"

"Oh, sorry," he chuckled, "I forgot. Have fun, Flowey."

Soon the group had agreed to play football, with Snowy and Bob Junior as team captains. To nobody's surprise, Flowey was picked first. This wasn't necessarily praise for his fine skill at the game. He was almost as wide as the goalposts, so he didn't have to move very far to block any shots. While this meant his team usually won, it was kind of boring for him. Today though he tried something different. Snowy tried a futile kick at the small gap between his tendril and the goal post, and instead of catching it, he smacked the ball back with that tendril, with the kind of force he'd used against Asgore. It streaked across the pitch, and past Frisk's outstretched hand.

"YES! SCORE!"

"Good job, Flowey!"

His massive arms slammed down on the grass. "I'm the best! I'm the best!"

"Hey, watch you don't tear up the soil!"

The pitch certainly looked like it had seen better days. "Oh, oops."

Frisk had retrieved the ball and tossed it to Bob Junior and Snowy in the centre of the pitch, and play resumed.

"Foul!" screeched Flowey, "Monsterkid caught the ball with his hands!"

"Dude, I don't have hands."

"That's no excuse!"

"Flowey," called Frisk, "what did Mom say about doing anything to win?"

"Ugh, fine, sorry!"

The problem with one team getting an immovable object as a goalie was that the game rarely lasted the normal length, as the attacking team got fed up trying to score a goal. After Bob Junior's team scored three more times, including another Flowey shot, Snowy unilaterally forfeited and suggested they play something else, so they made their way over to the play park, thankfully before anyone noticed the atrocity Flowey committed on the grass at his goal.

Usually Flowey didn't get much fun on the climbing frame, being taller than it was, but Frisk hit on a novel idea. He floated above it, letting others try and climb him, like a bonus round. Although he had more fun in not playing fair with them. Every time one of them reached one of his arms he suddenly had an itch he needed to scratch. It took another look from Frisk to get him to settle down. In the meantime everyone in the park got a clear look at him as he hovered above all obstructions. Sanjay decided maybe he wouldn't take that shortcut.

"Whoops!" Monsterkid had slipped off his maw, and he just about caught him by the tail. "Gotta be careful there buddy!"

"Thanks, man."

_CRASH._

He'd just put Monsterkid safely on the ground when he froze. His screen was black with a large crack in it, a baseball falling to the frame below.

"Flowey!" cried Frisk.

With a small tinkle of mending glass, the screen repaired itself, and with a bzzt his shocked face reasserted itself. And then he started crying.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry!" A human girl approached the group. "We were playing baseball over there and I mis-hit it! Is... is it okay?"

"Yeah," said Frisk, "he'll be fine. Takes a lot more than that-"

" **You!** "

The girl's vision was filled with red, the crooked teeth turning sharp.

"What's the big idea, you idiot?!"

"Um, I said I was sorry-"

"What if that's not good enough, huh?" He slammed a mighty arm down beside her. She flinched in fear, but his anger ignored the pang of guilt this inspired. "Maybe I oughta teach you how in this world it's-"

" **Asriel Wingdings Dreemurr!** "

The red was replaced with static. For the second time the large bulk was frozen solid. Two sets of footsteps walked up to the scene as Flowey's face slowly reasserted itself.

"How many times have I told you about overreacting?!" bellowed Toriel. "You have no need to act so hostile!"

"B-b-but," he stammered, "but Mom, she hit me with a ball!"

"And she apologised. Accidents are a thing, you know. You are far too strong to behave like this. Apologise, _now!_ "

A mutinous scowl played on his screen, as red eyes stared into red eyes. But it was a brief outburst of defiance, not the resolution for an extended siege.

"...sorry." He sounded totally defeated.

"Um, it's okay."

"Now," she said curtly, "perhaps you have been overstimulated today. Let's go home, children."

Toriel led the way, with Asgore bringing up the rear in case Flowey tried anything. Frisk knew he regretted it as much as anyone, and not just because he'd been scolded. Perhaps his guilt diminished that aura that put a lot of people off him, for passers-by on the street seemed to look sympathetically at the forlorn display on his screen. Some of them still shuddered however.

"...sorry," he said again after a moody silence, "I lost my temper. It's easy to get carried away when I'm... like this."

"I know, Son," said Asgore, "and this was just a mistake, that's all. We all have our bad days."

"So," he offered, "how long do I get grounded for this time?"

Toriel maintained an air of stiff disapproval. "Well, I think..."

A commotion across the street hijacked their attention. Two human men were struggling over something. One of them threw the other to the ground, poked around inside his jacked, took out a wallet and started running. There was a dark red smear on the wall where one of the men had been shoved into it.

"Flowey-?"

Cars screeched to a halt as he glided across the street, toward the man on the ground.

"Hey mister, you okay? Mom, I think he's bleeding!"

As the rest of his family crossed the street to check, a large vine sprouted from one of his tendrils and shot after the mugger, wrapped around his leg and picked him up wholesale. While his parents tended to the victim, he turned his screen to the upside down captive.

"Give it back! Oh, I mean give it back, please."

His voice could be heard a block away, but it was steady and measured. The barely polite tone did the trick. The mugger reached in his pockets and threw out four wallets. Four corresponding vines caught them and brought them in front of four bulging eyes to examine them.

"This one, his name's Sanjay."

Toriel carefully cradled the man's head, as her magic closed the wound in the back of it. His eyes came back into focus. He looked around at the white face giving a small comforting smile, while the bearded one was on the phone. He made out the word police. Then a vine with his wallet got between him and his carer.

"There you go, mister. You feeling better? My mom's the best at healing magic!"

"Oh. Thanks," he said dizzily. "Can I ask you guys something?"

"Of course, sir," said Toriel.

Sanjay pointed to Asgore, then her, then Flowey. "How did that happen?"

"Golly," said Flowey, "I'm just big for my age, that's all."

"Oh. Well, thanks again."

Several more vines bundled up behind him so he could lie down with a modicum of comfort while they waited on the police. While Flowey was focused on Sanjay, the mugger tried to pull his leg free of his own vine. He didn't get very far before a sudden flash and a red trident in his face made him reconsider.

The rest of the afternoon was spent clearing things up with the police. Between the mugger's record and Sanjay's testimony there was no serious danger of complications for the Dreemurrs, but the paperwork was tedious. The sergeant gave Flowey a medal for his help, which he flaunted at Frisk on the way home, and although his smugness scared off even more humans on the final journey of the day, the whole incident wasn't enough to avoid still being grounded for a couple of days. He didn't argue though, since he knew that battle would be lost before it started.

The day was rounded off with Frisk watching a movie on Flowey's screen. As the credits rolled, their parents came in. Three cups and a basin rested on the tray Asgore carried.

"Hot chocolate before we turn in?" he offered. Flowey's face shook so fast in nodding it blurred. There was some conversation about what their plans would be the next day. Flowey's would obviously be limited because he was grounded, so Frisk offered to keep him company.

"That's very thoughtful, Frisk," said Toriel, "although perhaps missing the point. Actions have consequences, after all. Now, time to get ready for bed." They obeyed, heading out to the kitchen on the way to their bedroom, leaving Flowey to regard his parents with a pensive expression.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, "my... friends. It's great they let me feel love again, but sometimes my other feelings get amped up by by them too. I didn't mean to yell at that girl. It must be hard when I'm a real pain like that."

"My child," said Toriel, "you know we thought we would never experience this sort of 'pain' ever again. It is a small price to pay. And we shall all work together to ensure the price remains small. Agreed?"

He nodded more deliberately. Asgore plugged in his nightlight in a corner of the garage, then pulled up a large blanket and made sure Flowey's arms and maw were tucked in tight.

"Good night, Son," he said. "Remember that we love you no matter what."

He stared blankly at them for a moment. Then the screen briefly turned to static. The face that returned was different. The eyes were emerald green. The white background had a furry texture. Two small nostrils were between the eyes and the mouth, which had two fangs poking from the otherwise straight teeth. It was arranged in a small but sincere smile.

"Good night," he said, in a much gentler voice than usual, "I love you too."

Asgore stood on tiptoe to give the screen a peck. The face flickered back to its usual appearance, and then the screen shut off entirely, the secondary eyes closing as the maw emitted a guttural yawn. His parents watched him drift off to sleep, then with arms wrapped around shoulders headed to their own bedroom, softly closing the door behind them.

**Author's Note:**

> Original Pastebin Version: https://pastebin.com/D6DxdmWj
> 
> Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!


End file.
